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The Consolation of Israel
Only when we have seen the Messiah—when we have acknowledged Jesus for who He is and bowed in worship—will we be ready to meet our Creator. There is only one way to stand before God unafraid, and that ...Read More
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Israel, the Son of God
New Testament fulfillment language does not always mean a prophet directly saw an aspect of Jesus’ ministry. When the Apostles say Christ fulfilled a prophecy, they sometimes mean that He is the true realization of a particular old covenant theme ...Read More
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Adam and Israel
John Calvin comments on today’s passage: “God desires to be worshipped otherwise than sensual men [people who serve the flesh, not the Spirit] dream; they only display their rites, and neglect the spiritual worship of God, which stands in ...Read More
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Seeking Help in All the Wrong Places
Even though we are justified by faith alone as individuals and redeemed based on our personal relationship to God, we cannot forget that the Lord also deals with the church as a corporate body. Entire denominations feel the effects of ...Read More
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Hosea Redeems His Wife
Matthew Henry comments on today’s passage: “All who are sincerely devoted to God are betrothed to him; God will love them, protect them, and provide for them. The covenant itself shall be inviolable: God will not break it on ...Read More
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God Withdraws His Revelation
John Calvin comments on today’s passage about God’s withdrawal of His Word: “When we abuse God’s bounty, our ingratitude deserves this recompense.” God is long-suffering and kind, but He will not forever send His Word to people ...Read More
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Condemnation for Israel and Judah
Forgetfulness is a major contributing factor to sin for the people of God. When we forget all that the Lord has done for us, it becomes easy to take Him for granted and to commit the very acts He condemns ...Read More
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Unspoken Conditions
Without question, God knew that the Ninevites were going to repent long before He sent Jonah to preach to them. In fact, because the Lord has ordained even our responses, He always knows how we are going to respond when ...Read More
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God’s Word to His Covenant People
God’s Word is delivered to all of the members of the visible covenant community. But the members of the invisible covenant community show themselves to be His elect people by taking the warnings about staying in faith seriously, repenting ...Read More
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The Twelve Tribes of Israel
Because we are grafted into the tree of Israel by faith when we trust in Christ alone, we can be assured that we will enjoy the future glory promised to Israel. Even when things look darkest for the church, we ...Read More
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A Wrestling People
The weight of today’s passage lies in the fact that Jacob wrestled with God. Note, however, that Jacob could sustain the struggle only because of the Lord’s grace to Him. Matthew Henry comments on today’s passage: “We ...Read More
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The Monarchy Instituted
For decades, presidents, parliaments, and other ruling bodies in our country and around the world have paid lip service to the rule of law while acting as if they are above the laws of the land. We can do something ...Read More
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Dividing the Land
Theonomists want to establish the penalties of the Mosaic law in society today, but this position is ultimately not tenable because unlike the old covenant, the new covenant community is not a geopolitical entity. That does not mean, however, that ...Read More
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The Fall of Jericho
Joshua and the Israelites were commanded to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan because of the spiritual threat they presented to God’s people (Ex. 34:11–16). Since this holy war was limited in scope and duration, the church is ...Read More
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The Exodus from Egypt
Salvation is a gift wholly from the Lord from beginning to end. He accomplishes our redemption on the cross and gives us the faith to appropriate that redemption for ourselves. It can be easy to forget this truth, but we ...Read More
